​THE IDOL OF THE PEOPLE IS MONEY!

​THE IDOL OF THE PEOPLE IS MONEY!

“The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.”

Psalms 135:15 KJV
The expression “silver and gold” is often used throughout the scriptures to represent money. An example is the response of Peter to the beggar at the Temple’s Beautiful Gate. Peter had told him “Silver and gold have I none . . .” (Acts 3: 6)

As we go to our various church meetings, I just needed to remind us that in these last days the idol of the nations is “silver and gold – money.” Everybody everywhere is constantly pursuing money. Everybody wants to be rich. The success or failure of every venture is measured in net monetary terms. It’s sick!

What’s worse? Even churches have caught that fever. They project to us that the end result of every thing is financial gain. You hear many senior pastors say from the pulpits “a man gave me 10 million Naira, God so much favoured him in return that he won a $4 million contract.” Now, this “testimony” actually came from an invited preacher at a convention of a “pentecostal church” here in Akure. It was not a second-hand information. I heard it directly from the preacher’s lips.

Beware! Today there are going to try and cajole you and tell you “the more money you give to God, the money God will bless you with.”

I know they have pastored you for many years and you have grown to trust them and you keep following them even when you can sense that they are obviously lying to you. But because even you want plenty of money, and you seem to have gained some more money after giving them your little money, you have believed “it works.” You keep arguing that “it works after all” and they keep using sweet words to make merchandize of you. (2 Peter 2: 3)

Well, I am to warn you; first, that you cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6: 24). When the purpose and orientation of your mind for putting money into the church basket is so that you might get more money in the end, you are serving money, not God. Call it “seed sowing”, I don’t care. I don’t use “brainwashers’ language.”

My second warning to you is that the blessings and gifts of God cannot be bought with money. (Acts 8: 20). I know they will tell you this morning “sow a seed for safe journey”, “sow a seed for your American visa” (LOL, hahaha) “sow a seed for good health”, “sow a seed for promotion”, “sow a seed for greater wealth”. Okay o. Choose not to listen to me, choose to give them your money – and your brain too in an envelope! But the TRUTH remains that God’s benefits are FREELY given and never bought with a money a.k.a. “seed”, “offering”, “prophet’s offering” etc.

See, the earth’s is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof. He owns the cattle upon a thousand hills. If God were hungry, he won’t need to consult you! (Psalm 50: 12) He doesn’t need your big envelopes – tithes or no tithes.

“You cannot serve two masters at the same time. You will hate one and love the other, or you will be loyal to one and not care about the other. You cannot serve God and Money at the same time.

Matthew 6:24 ERV
God says, “My people, listen to me! People of Israel, I will show my evidence against you. I am God, your God. The problem I have with you is not your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you bring to me everyday. Why would I want more bulls from your barns or goats from your pens? I already own all the animals in the forest. I own all the animals on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains. Everything that moves in the fields is mine. If I were hungry, I would not ask you for food. I already own the world and everything in it.

Psalms 50:7‭-‬12 ERV
Peter said to Simon, “You and your money should both be destroyed because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money.

Acts 8:20 ERV
These false teachers only want your money. So they will use you by telling you things that are not true. But the judgment against these false teachers has been ready for a long time. And they will not escape God who will destroy them.